Safety-envelop.



9 P. A. THORIN. SAFETY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3," 1909.

941,288. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

PeZerA]%0/v 2.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm xo ro-umocmmzas. wAsmnamu. a a

STATES PATENT UFFTQE.

PETER A, THORIN, OF IRON RIVER, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 PATRICK OIBRIEN, OF IRON RIVER, MICHIGAN, AND ONE-SIXTH TO EDVI'ABD W. HOPKINS,

OF COMMONWEALTH, WISCONSIN.

SAFETY-EN VELOP.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER A. THORIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Iron River, in the county of Iron and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a safety envelop which is provided with means for holding the closing flap fast so that the envelop can not be opened without tearing the same to thereby render it practically impossible for anyone to tamper with the envelop, the safety device being substantially invisible and used in connection with the ordinary gummed sealing flap so that the appearance is substantially the same as an ordinary envelop.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction of envelope of this character so as to be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and eflicient in use, and readily operated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an envelop having a tubular member arranged at the inside thereof and secured to the back portion of the envelop, in combination with a pair of spring hooks attached to the sealing flap and so arranged as to be inserted in the tubular member and locked therein.

lVith these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claim appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Figure l is a rear view of an envelop equipped with the safety device, the envelop being shown open and with portions broken away. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section with the sealing flap in closed position. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the safety fastening with the parts locked together. Fig.4 is a perspective view of the part of the safety device attached to the sealing flap. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of that part of the device attached to the back portion of the envelop. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 23, 1909. Application filed February 3, 1909.

Serial No. 475,864.

of the rivets for securing the parts of the safety device to the envelop.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the envelop which, in the present instance, consists of a front body portion 1 and a back composed of a bottom flap 2 and end flaps 3 and t, there being a top sealing flap 5 that is secured to the front 1 and provided with a gummed portion 6. The bottom flap and side flaps are provided with registering openings 7, 8 and 9, located at the top edge of the back of the envelop and in the vertical center line thereof, this recess in the back part of the envelop being necessary for the use of the safety device.

The safety device is composed of two parts B and C arranged respectively on the top flap and back of the envelop respectively. The part 13 consists of a pair of oppositelydisposed spring hooks 10 connected with ashank 11 that has an eye 12 through which extends the shank 13 of a rivetor fastener let such as shown in Fig. 6, the prongs being inserted through the top flap in the vertical center line thereof and suitably close to the fold 15 between the top flap and body of the envelop. The part B is shown in the present instance as constructed of a single length of wire, the ends of which constitute the bills of the hooks 10, while the shank 11 is formed by twisting the wire together after being doubled centrally on itself into the eye 12. The spring hooks 10 can be secured to the inner face of.the envelop in any other suitable manner than by the staple 14, as will be readily understood. The hooks project upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, toward the apex of the flap 5, so that when the flap is turned down to sealing position, the hooks will project downwardly into the body of the envelop. The part C is arranged within the envelop and consists of a tubular member 16 disposed vertically with its upper and lower ends open, and secured to the lower end of the tubular member 16 is a flat plate 17 having an aperture 18 through which a staple 14 is inserted'for attaching the part C to the back of the envelop. The upper end of the tubular member 16 is disposed close to the bottom end of the central recess in the top edge of the back of the envelop so that the hooks 10 can be readily inserted.

It will be observed on reference to Fig. 1 that the upper edge of the back of the envelop is approximately 011 a line with the upper edge of the front, hence, the necessity for providing the openings to admit of the member B of the fastening passing inside the envelop when the latter is closed so as to interlock with the member C. It is also noted that the sealing flap 5 covers the opening and is gummed to the outer side of the back, thereby supplementing the action of the fastening B- C in securing the envelop against surreptitious opening.

In closing the envelop after the contents has been placed therein, the top flap 5 is folded downwardly to such a position that the spring hooks 10 can be drawn together and guided into the upper end of the tubular member 16. After the hooks are thus entered, the flap can be folded still further so as to thereby move the hooks down through the bottom open end of the member 16, when the hooks will spring apart to cause the bills thereof to project out of and engage under the lower end of the member 16 as shown in Fig. 3, thereby closing the safety device. After this is done, the gummed portion 6 of the top flap is moistened and the envelop thereupon sea-led.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is In combination with an envelop comprising a front, a back, and a sealing flap, a fastening comprising complemental parts, the one consisting of a flattened tube open at both ends and attached to the inner side of the back, and the other part consisting of a single piece of wire doubled upon itself and having an eye at the fold and having the members intertwisted for a short distance and having their free ends forming spring arms and terminating in hooks which are adapted to pass through said flattened tube and engage therewith.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER A. THORIN.

lVitnesses I OBnnnv,

Mrs. P. A. THORIN. 

